Flue cleaning robot

Abstract

A flue cleaning robot, comprising a walking vehicle (100), a breaking assembly (200), a first driving unit (300), a second driving unit (400) and a cleaning assembly. The walking vehicle (100) can walk in the axial direction of a flue (700). The breaking assembly (200) comprises a support (210) and a breaking cutter (230) used for breaking deposits on the bottom wall of the flue, the support (210) being hinged to the walking vehicle (100), and the breaking cutter (230) being rotatably connected to the support (210) and extending out of the support (210) in the walking direction. The first driving unit (300) is used for driving the support (210) to swing with respect to the walking vehicle (100) in a plane perpendicular to the walking direction. The second driving unit (400) is used for driving the breaking cutter (230) to rotate with respect to the support (210), so as to break the deposits on the bottom wall of the flue (700). The cleaning assembly is used for discharging the broken deposits out of the flue (700).

Description

A flue cleaning robot

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 2023115085514 filed on November 14, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure belongs to the technical field of flue cleaning, and in particular relates to a flue cleaning robot. Background Art

[0004] Anode baking is a crucial process in the production of electrolytic aluminum anodes. The method involves using an overhead crane to transport pre-formed green anode carbon blocks into a baking furnace for high-temperature baking, which hardens the green anode carbon blocks into clinker anodes. Since the green anode carbon blocks are formed by extrusion from materials such as carbon powder, asphalt, and coal tar, these materials evaporate during the high-temperature baking process and mix with surrounding impurities such as dust, becoming bonded to the flue. Over time, this mixture accumulates on the flue's bottom wall, forming a thick scar and reducing the flue's cross-sectional area for flue gas flow. Therefore, regular cleaning of the hard deposits along the bottom wall is necessary to keep the flue unobstructed and avoid potential safety hazards such as fire.

[0005] Flues run horizontally for long stretches, or at a slight angle to the horizontal. Currently, cleaning flues in this configuration is primarily done manually, with workers entering the flue through a pre-defined opening to remove the deposits. Because the deposits, formed by a mixture of carbon dust, asphalt, and coal tar, adhere firmly to the flue floor, the cleaning process is labor-intensive and inefficient. Furthermore, workers work within the confined flue space, where the deposits emit a pungent odor and create a poor working environment, seriously impacting their health.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a flue cleaning device that reduces labor intensity and has high cleaning efficiency.

[0007] Summary of the Invention

[0008] In order to solve the current technical problem of high labor intensity and low cleaning efficiency in cleaning sediments in a flue connected to an anode baking furnace, the present disclosure provides a flue cleaning robot.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a flue cleaning robot includes: a traveling vehicle capable of traveling along the axial direction of the flue; a crushing assembly including a bracket and a crushing knife for crushing sediments on the bottom wall of the flue, the bracket being hinged to the traveling vehicle, the crushing knife being rotatably connected to the bracket, and extending outside the bracket along the traveling direction; a first driving unit for driving the bracket to swing relative to the traveling vehicle in a plane perpendicular to the traveling direction; a second driving unit for driving the crushing knife to rotate relative to the bracket to crush sediments on the bottom wall of the flue; and a cleaning assembly for discharging the crushed sediments out of the flue. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a flue cleaning robot according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the driving wheel and the matching plate in the flue cleaning robot of FIG. 1 .

[0012] FIG3 shows a schematic structural diagram of the main body of the driving wheel in the flue cleaning robot of FIG1 .

[0013] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the body of the driving wheel of FIG. 3 .

[0014] FIG. 5 shows a schematic structural diagram of a matching plate in the flue cleaning robot of FIG. 1 .

[0015] FIG6 shows a schematic structural diagram of the flue cleaning robot cooperating with the flue.

[0016] Explanation of the accompanying drawings: 100, traveling vehicle; 110, vehicle body; 111, vehicle frame; 112, control box; 113, support arm; 120, traveling wheel; 121, driving wheel; 122, driven wheel; 200, crushing assembly; 210, bracket; 211, mounting plate; 211a, avoidance structure; 212, matching plate; 212a, second matching part; 220, cutter disc; 230, crushing knife; 300, first driving unit; 310, driving wheel; 311, first mounting hole; 312, second mounting hole; 313, sliding protrusion; 314, rolling sleeve; 315, main body; 320, first driving element; 400, second driving unit; 410, driving motor; 420, reducer; 500, lighting component; 600, image acquisition component; 700, flue. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] In order to enable those skilled in the art to understand the present disclosure more clearly, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0018] The first embodiment of the present disclosure provides a flue cleaning robot that can clean thick and hard sediments in the flue 700 of a roasting furnace, with good cleaning effect, labor saving and high efficiency.

[0019] FIG1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a flue cleaning robot according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG1 , the flue cleaning robot provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a traveling vehicle 100, a crushing assembly 200, a first drive unit 300, a second drive unit 400, and a cleaning assembly; the traveling vehicle 100 can travel along the axial direction of the flue 700; the crushing assembly 200 includes a bracket 210 and a crushing knife 230 for crushing the sediment on the bottom wall of the flue, the bracket 210 is hinged to the traveling vehicle 100, and the crushing knife 230 is rotatably connected to the bracket 210 and extends outside the bracket 210 along the traveling direction; the first drive unit 300 is used to drive the bracket 210 to swing relative to the traveling vehicle 100 in a plane perpendicular to the traveling direction; the second drive unit 400 is used to drive the crushing knife 230 to rotate relative to the bracket 210 to crush the sediment on the bottom wall of the flue 700; and the cleaning assembly is used to discharge the crushed sediment out of the flue 700.

[0020] The traveling vehicle 100 serves as the walking body of the cleaning robot, and can drive the crushing assembly 200, the first drive unit 300, and the second drive unit 400 to move in the flue 700 along with the traveling vehicle 100. The crushing knife 230 moves along the walking direction with the crushing assembly 200, so that it can be inserted into the sediment.

[0021] The crushing assembly 200 is used to crush the sediment on the bottom wall of the flue 700. In some embodiments, the vaporized asphalt and coal tar in the roasting furnace will be deposited on the bottom wall of the flue 700 as the temperature decreases during the process of moving and discharging in the flue 700, forming a thick layer of hard sediment. When the crushing assembly 200 crushes the sediment, the crushing knife 230 is rotatably connected to the bracket 210, so that the part of the crushing knife 230 extending outside the bracket 210 can be inserted into the sediment under the action of the traveling vehicle 100. The bracket 210 is hinged to the traveling vehicle 100, and the bracket 210 swings back and forth relative to the traveling vehicle 100 in a plane perpendicular to the traveling direction, that is, in the cross section of the flue 700, thereby driving the crushing knife 230 to swing back and forth in the cross section of the flue 700 to scrape off and crush the sediment, so that the sediment is separated from the bottom wall of the flue 700. The combination of the rotation of the crushing knife 230 around the bracket 210 and the reciprocating swing of the bracket 210 in the cross section of the flue 700 applies self-rotation along the circumference of the flue and at the position of the crushing knife 230 itself to the sediment, thereby scraping off the sediment to crush the sediment, with good crushing effect and a large crushing range.

[0022] The cleaning assembly can discharge the crushed sediment out of the flue 700. In some embodiments, the cleaning assembly can include a blower and a negative pressure pipe, the negative pressure pipe being connected to the blower and the flue 700. The blower and the negative pressure pipe are located near the rear end of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 travels in a direction opposite to the direction in which the crushed sediment is discharged. Under the negative pressure of the blower, the sediment is discharged out of the flue 700. This cleaning assembly with a blower and a negative pressure pipe structure provides good sealing performance for the flue 700 and is suitable for flues with high sealing requirements, such as the flue 700 of a roasting furnace. In other embodiments, the cleaning assembly can include a blower and a discharge pipe, the flue 700 being provided with a discharge hole, the discharge pipe being connected to the flue 700 through the discharge hole, the blower being connected to the flue 700, and gas being blown into the flue 700 by the blower to blow the crushed sediment so that the crushed sediment is discharged through the discharge hole. This cleaning assembly including a blower and a discharge pipe structure is suitable for flues with low flue sealing requirements.

[0023] FIG6 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the flue cleaning robot in cooperation with the flue. In some embodiments, referring to FIG1 and FIG6 , the crushing assembly 200 may include a cutter disc 220 rotatably connected to a bracket 210. A plurality of crushing blades 230 may be provided, and the plurality of crushing blades 230 are arranged at intervals along the radial direction of the cutter disc 220 and extend outside the cutter disc 220 along the travel direction. The sediment has a certain thickness and is relatively hard. The plurality of crushing blades 230 arranged at intervals along the radial direction of the cutter disc 220 can be inserted into different depths of the sediment to improve the scraping and crushing effect of the sediment. The crushing blades 230 may be provided in two, three, or other numbers, and the present disclosure does not impose any restrictions. The cutter disc 220 is rotatably connected to the bracket 210 via a rotating shaft, and the crushing blades 230 are rotatably connected to the bracket 210 via the cutter disc 220, so that the crushing blades 230 rotate with the rotating shaft as the rotation center, forming a circular trajectory with the rotating shaft as the rotation center. The circular trajectory generated by the crushing knife 230 is different from the swing trajectory of the bracket 210, so the circular trajectory can be superimposed on the swing trajectory, so that the scraping and crushing effect of the sediment is better.

[0024] In some embodiments, the crushing knife 230 is a blade connected to the front side of the cutter head 220 along the travel direction and extending in the travel direction. In some embodiments, the shape of the blade can be arc-shaped or flat.

[0025] In some embodiments, the crushing blade 230 is a rod blade, one end of which is connected to the cutterhead 220 and the other end extends in the direction of travel. Compared to a blade, a rod blade is stronger and more effective at crushing hard sediments. In some embodiments, the rod blade is parallel to the axis of the flue 700, or at an angle of 3° to 10°. The free end of the rod blade extends in the direction of travel, allowing the rod blade to penetrate forward into the sediment. As the cutterhead 220 oscillates, it cuts sediment circumferentially around the flue 700, separating it from the bottom wall of the flue 700. As the cutterhead 220 rotates about its axis, the rotational motion of the crushing blade 230 has circumferential and radial projections along the flue 700. Therefore, the rotation of the crushing blade 230 about its axis can cut localized sediment both circumferentially and radially. Furthermore, the rotation of the rod blade, combined with the oscillation of the cutterhead 220 and its axial travel along the flue 700, achieves better sediment crushing. The rod blade also has a simple structure and is easy to manufacture.

[0026] In some embodiments, one end of the rod blade is connected to the cutter head 220, and the other end extends radially along the flue 700 toward the sediment. The rod blade extending radially along the flue 700 can also break up the sediment. However, when the rod blade extends radially along the flue 700, the rotation of the rod blade, combined with the swinging of the cutter head 220, only contacts part of the sediment. This means that it is possible but not possible to completely break the sediment into fine particles. As a result, some sediment remains attached to the bottom wall of the flue 700, making it difficult to completely clean the sediment, and a large amount of residual sediment remains.

[0027] In some embodiments, the bar blade can be a rectangular or cylindrical rod. In other embodiments, the radial dimension of the bar blade gradually increases as it approaches the vehicle 100. In other embodiments, the bar blade can be tapered, with the free end inserted into the sediment being the small end and the fixed end connected to the cutter head 220 being the large end. The small end is easier to insert into hard sediment.

[0028] In some embodiments, referring to FIG6 , multiple groups of crushing blades 230 are provided. Each group of crushing blades 230 includes multiple crushing blades 230. The multiple groups of crushing blades 230 are spaced apart around the circumference of the cutterhead 220 to improve the scraping and crushing effect of sediment, resulting in fine particles that are more easily discharged from the flue 700. In some embodiments, two groups of crushing blades 230 are provided, and the two groups of crushing blades 230 are arranged collinearly. In some embodiments, three groups of crushing blades 230 are provided, and the three groups of crushing blades 230 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the cutterhead 220 at the front side of the cutterhead 220. In other embodiments, four or five groups of crushing blades 230 are provided.

[0029] In some embodiments, referring to FIG6 , a plurality of cutter discs 220 are provided, and the plurality of cutter discs 220 are rotatably connected to the bracket 210 at intervals. In some embodiments, the bracket 210 is hinged to the vehicle 100 via a hinge shaft, and the plurality of cutter discs 220 are mounted around the hinge shaft. The number of rotating shafts is the same as the number of cutter discs 220, and the cutter discs 220 are rotatably connected to the bracket 210 via corresponding rotating shafts. Multiple cutter discs 220 are provided along the hinge shaft as the swing center to reduce the swing stroke of the bracket 210 and improve the crushing efficiency of the crushing assembly 200. The number of cutter discs 220 can be two, three, or another number. In some embodiments, the plurality of cutter discs 220 are located on the same circumference with the hinge shaft as the rotation center. In other embodiments, the plurality of cutter discs 220 are located on different circumferences with the hinge shaft as the rotation center.

[0030] In some embodiments, referring to FIG6 , the cutterhead 220 is provided with a mounting slot into which the crushing blade 230 is mounted. In some embodiments, the crushing blade 230 can be screwed, riveted, or welded to the cutterhead 220. In some embodiments, the crushing blade 230 can be screwed to the cutterhead 220, thereby facilitating removal of the crushing blade 230 to replace worn crushing blades 230.

[0031] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 6 , the bracket 210 includes a mounting plate 211 . The mounting plate 211 is provided with an escape structure 211 a for discharging crushed sediment. The escape structure 211 a is located between two adjacent cutter discs 220 among the plurality of cutter discs 220 .

[0032] In some embodiments, the avoidance structure 211a is an avoidance notch or an avoidance groove, so that the mounting plate 211 is formed into a herringbone shape or an inverted Y shape. As the traveling vehicle 100 moves forward, the crushed objects crushed by the crushing knife 230 can pass from the avoidance structure 211a to the back of the traveling vehicle 100 to facilitate discharge into the flue 700.

[0033] In some embodiments, the cutter disc 220 extends from the bracket 210 in a radial direction of the flue 700 , and a gap between two adjacent cutter discs 220 among the plurality of cutter discs 220 forms a channel for discharging crushed sediment.

[0034] In some embodiments, the mounting plate 211 is provided with an avoidance structure 211a, and the cutter disc 220 extends from the mounting plate 211 radially along the flue 700, and the gap between two adjacent cutter discs 220 in the cutter disc 220 is connected to the avoidance structure 211a, together forming a channel for the discharge of broken objects.

[0035] In some embodiments, the hinge axis and the rotating axis are both parallel to the travel direction, that is, parallel to the axial direction of the flue 700. This means that in theory, the hinge axis and the rotating axis are both parallel to the axial direction of the flue 700. However, during operation, the hinge axis and the axial direction of the flue 700 may form a slight angle, and the rotating axis and the axial direction of the flue 700 may also form a slight angle. The crushing blade is located at the front side of the cutterhead in the travel direction. The crushing blade can be inserted into the uncrushed sediment in front to crush it, separating the sediment from the bottom wall of the flue 700.

[0036] In some embodiments, the first drive unit 300 can be a first drive motor that drives the hinge shaft to rotate. The first drive motor can be a servo motor so that the hinge shaft can rotate forward and reverse, thereby driving the bracket 210 to swing within the cross section of the flue 700.

[0037] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the drive wheel and mating plate in the flue cleaning robot of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, in some embodiments, the first drive unit 300 may include a drive wheel 310 and a first drive element 320 connected to the vehicle 100. The first drive element 320 is drivingly connected to the drive wheel 310. The drive wheel 310 has a first mating portion spaced from the wheel center of the drive wheel 310. The bracket 210 has a second mating portion 212a. The first mating portion and the second mating portion 212a are slidably engaged so that when the drive wheel 310 rotates, the bracket 210 swings relative to the vehicle 100 in a plane perpendicular to the travel direction. In some embodiments, the first drive element 320 may be a drive motor or a drive electric motor. When the first drive element 320 is a drive motor, the drive motor may be a hydraulic motor. The first drive unit 300 also includes a first control valve that can be opened and closed to control the flow of hydraulic medium in the hydraulic motor, thereby turning the hydraulic motor on and off.

[0038] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the mating plate in the flue cleaning robot of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 5, in some embodiments, the bracket 210 further includes a mating plate 212, which is connected to the mounting plate 211 and has a second mating portion 212a. If the second mating portion 212a is damaged, the mating plate 212 can be replaced without replacing the entire bracket 210.

[0039] In some embodiments, the first driving element 320 can be located between the hinge shaft and the rotating shaft, so that the first driving element 320 takes up less space and has a more compact structure. In other embodiments, the driving element 320 can be located on a side of the hinge shaft away from the rotating shaft.

[0040] In some embodiments, the first mating portion is a sliding protrusion 313, and the second mating portion 212a is a sliding groove extending radially along the flue 700. Specifically, the mating plate 212 is provided with a sliding groove, and the sliding protrusion 313 slidably engages with the sliding groove. When the drive wheel 310 rotates, it drives the sliding protrusion 313 to rotate, and the sliding protrusion 313 slides within the sliding groove, which drives the bracket 210 to rotate. Because the rotation centers of the drive wheel 310 and the bracket 210 are different, the sliding groove extends radially along the flue 700, allowing relative motion between the drive wheel 310 and the bracket 210 to occur without obstruction. In some embodiments, the sliding groove of the mating plate 212 can be a through groove or a blind groove.

[0041] In other embodiments, the first matching portion is a sliding groove extending along the radial direction of the driving wheel 310 , and the second matching portion 212 a is a sliding protrusion 313 , and the sliding protrusion 313 is slidably matched with the sliding groove.

[0042] When the driving wheel 310 is provided with the sliding protrusion 313 , the driving wheel is provided with a first mounting hole 311 . The sliding protrusion 313 is a protruding rod, which is installed in the first mounting hole 311 and extends out of the first mounting hole 311 .

[0043] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of the main body of the drive wheel in the flue cleaning robot of FIG1 . As shown in FIG3 , in some embodiments, the drive wheel 310 is provided with a second mounting hole 312 , and the output shaft of the first drive element 320 is mounted in the second mounting hole 312 . In some embodiments, the drive wheel 310 includes a main body 315 , a roller sleeve 314 , and a sliding protrusion 313 connected to the main body 315 . The main body 315 is provided with a first mounting hole and a second mounting hole. The sliding protrusion 313 is connected to the roller sleeve 314 . The outer sleeve of the roller sleeve 314 rotates relative to the sliding protrusion 313 . The outer sleeve of the roller sleeve 314 is movably disposed within the chute to prevent the sliding protrusion 313 from getting stuck when the chute and the chute move relative to each other. The main body 315 and the sliding protrusion 313 are designed to be separate. This facilitates replacement of only the sliding protrusion 313 when the sliding protrusion 313 is damaged, without having to replace the sliding protrusion 315 , thereby reducing maintenance.

[0044] In some embodiments, the inner sleeve of the roller sleeve 314 is connected to the sliding protrusion 313 by an interference fit or a threaded connection, and the inner sleeve and outer sleeve of the roller sleeve 314 are rotationally connected. In some implementations, the inner sleeve and outer sleeve are rotationally connected by a ball bearing. The roller sleeve 314 can be a bearing.

[0045] In some embodiments, the second drive unit 400 may include a drive motor 410 and a reducer 420. The drive motor 410 is connected to the reducer 420 for force transmission. The output shaft of the reducer 420 is connected to the cutter disc 220. When the drive motor 410 is powered on, it rotates the reducer 420, thereby rotating the cutter disc 220. The drive motor 410 can be a hydraulic motor with sufficient power. The second drive unit 400 may also include a second control valve that can be opened and closed to control the hydraulic medium of the hydraulic motor of the second drive unit 400, thereby turning the hydraulic motor on and off. In some embodiments, the reducer 420 is connected to the traveling vehicle 100 via a connecting plate to achieve the installation and fixation of the reducer 420.

[0046] As shown in Figure 1, in some embodiments, the traveling vehicle 100 may include a vehicle body 110, a second drive element, and multiple groups of traveling wheels 120 connected to the second drive element. The multiple groups of traveling wheels 120 are spaced apart along the traveling direction and are rotatably connected to the vehicle body 110. Each group of traveling wheels 120 may include two traveling wheels 120, and the radial dimensions of the two traveling wheels 120 decrease successively along the opposite directions. The curvature of the outer contour of the traveling wheel 120 matches the curvature of the inner wall of the flue 700, so that the traveling vehicle 100 can travel stably in the flue 700. In some embodiments, the height of the traveling wheel 120 is higher than the sediment on the bottom wall of the flue 700, so that a certain space is maintained between the bottom of the vehicle body 110 and the broken sediment in the flue 700, so that the broken sediment can be discharged smoothly, and the cleaning of the broken sediment does not affect the movement of the traveling vehicle 100.

[0047] In some embodiments, the running wheels 120 may be provided in two, three, or four groups, which is not limited in the present disclosure.

[0048] The second driving element can be a driving motor or a motor. In some embodiments, the number of groups of running wheels 120 is the same as the number of second driving elements and is arranged accordingly. The second driving element has two output shafts, and the two output shafts of the second driving element are respectively connected to the two running wheels 120 for force transmission. In some embodiments, one second driving element is provided. The traveling vehicle 100 can also include a transmission mechanism, and the running wheel 120 connected to the second driving element is connected to the other running wheels 120 for force transmission through a transmission structure. In some embodiments, the transmission mechanism can be a chain transmission mechanism, or a belt transmission mechanism, etc.

[0049] In some embodiments, two groups of travel wheels 120 may be provided. One group of travel wheels 120 includes driving wheels 121 connected to the second drive element and close to the crushing assembly. The other group of travel wheels 120 includes driven wheels 122 .

[0050] The vehicle body 110 of the traveling vehicle 100 includes a vehicle frame 111 and a support arm 113 connected to each other. The support arm 113 constitutes a hinge axis, and the vehicle frame 310 is rotatably connected to the support arm 113.

[0051] In some embodiments, the flue cleaning robot may further include a first controller, a second controller, and an illumination unit 500 and an image acquisition unit 600 connected to the vehicle 100. Both the first and second controllers are equipped with communication modules. The first and second controllers communicate data via the two communication modules. The second controller, illumination unit 500, and image acquisition unit 600 are all connected to the vehicle 100. The illumination unit 500, image acquisition unit 600, first drive unit 300, and second drive unit 400 are all electrically connected to the second controller.

[0052] The lighting unit 500 can be a lamp that illuminates the flue 700, facilitating the image capture unit 600 to capture images of the flue 700. The image capture unit 600 can be a video camera, a video recorder, or a surveillance camera. The images captured by the image capture unit 600 allow operators to observe the cleaning status of the flue 700 and to stop or resume cleaning. In some embodiments, the image capture unit 600 can be equipped with a dust blower to remove dust from the image capture unit 600 and maintain clear images.

[0053] In some embodiments, the vehicle body 110 may include a control box 112 , the second controller is located in the control box 112 , and the control box 112 is connected to the vehicle frame 111 .

[0054] When the flue cleaning robot is operating, a first controller is located outside the flue 700 and is accessible to operators. The first controller can be a remote control terminal. The second controller is located inside the flue 700 and is electrically connected to the lighting element 500, the image acquisition element 600, the first drive unit 300, and the second drive unit 400, providing good signal stability. The first and second controllers communicate data via a communication module, namely a wireless module, to enable turning the lighting element 500 on and off, image acquisition by the image acquisition element 600, and turning the first drive unit 300 and the second drive unit 400 on and off.

[0055] In some embodiments, the first control valve of the first drive unit 300 and the second control valve of the second drive unit 400 are both electrically controlled valves, the second controller is electrically connected to the electrically controlled valves, and the second controller is electrically connected to the second drive element.

[0056] In some embodiments, when the flue cleaning robot is cleaning the roasting furnace flue 700, the walking speed of the walking vehicle 100 can be 150-400 mm / min, and the swing frequency of the bracket 210 can be 20-25 times / min, for example, 22.7 times / min; the rotation speed of the cutter disc 220 is 105-120 rpm, for example, 112 rpm, and the sediment crushing effect is good.

[0057] Taking the example of the first drive unit 300 including the drive wheel 310 and the first drive element 320 and the second drive unit 400 including the drive motor 410, the specific working process of the flue cleaning robot provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is as follows:

[0058] When the pre-baked anode baking furnace is shut down, the flue cleaning robot enters the flue 700 through the pressure relief port of the flue 700. After the flue cleaning robot enters the baking furnace flue 700, the operator controls the lighting unit 500 and the second drive element through the first controller located outside the flue 700, causing the driving wheel connected to the second drive element to rotate. The chain transmission mechanism also causes the driven wheels connected to the two output shafts of the second drive element to rotate synchronously, thereby causing the traveling vehicle 100 to advance axially along the flue 700 to the area to be cleaned. The fan is located outside the flue 700 and is turned on. The first controller controls the electric control valves of the first drive unit 300 and the second drive unit 400 to open, thereby activating the hydraulic motors of the first drive unit 300 and the second drive unit 400. The bracket 210 reciprocates at a certain angle about the hinge axis, and the cutter head 220 rotates about the rotation axis, causing the crushing blade 230 to swing about the hinge axis and rotate about the rotation axis simultaneously, thereby starting to clean the sediment at the bottom of the flue 700. As the vehicle 100 advances, the crushing blade 230 extends axially along the flue 700 into the sediment. The crushing blade 230 swings back and forth at a predetermined angle about its hinge axis, scraping and crushing the sediment along the circumference of the flue 700. The crushing blade 230 rotates about its axis, scraping and crushing the sediment along the circumference and radial direction of the flue 700, thereby grinding and cutting the sediment into fine particles. The negative pressure exerted by the external fan in the flue 700 causes the fine particles of sediment to be discharged from the flue 700 to a designated location through a pipe.

[0059] When cleaning is complete, the first controller controls the electric control valves of the first drive unit 300 and the second drive unit 400 to close, controls the second drive element to reverse, and causes the vehicle 100 to return to the pressure relief port. The first controller then controls the second drive element to close, pulling the flue cleaning robot out of the flue 700. During the cleaning process, the first controller periodically blows dust from the image acquisition unit 600 to ensure real-time and clear monitoring of the cleaning status within the flue 700, and promptly adjusts the execution of the various mechanisms to effectively clean the bottom sediments within the flue 700.

[0060] The flue cleaning robot according to some embodiments of the present disclosure has at least the following advantages:

[0061] 1) According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the flue cleaning robot can enter the flue 700 of the anode baking furnace to clean solid deposits in a limited space, and adjust the operation efficiency by real-time monitoring of the cleaning status; it replaces manual entry into the flue 700 to reduce the labor intensity of workers, reduce safety risks, and improve work efficiency.

[0062] 2) In the technical solutions according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the flue cleaning robot adopts the combined action of the traveling vehicle 100, the self-rotation of the cutter disc 220 and the swinging of the cutter disc 220, so that the crushing knife 230 can scrape and crush the sediment along the axial, radial and circumferential directions of the flue 700, so that the sediment can be separated from the bottom wall of the flue 700. At the same time, the contact between the crushing knife 230 and the sediment on the bottom wall of the flue 700 is maximized, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency, reducing the particle size of the crushed sediment, and making it easier to discharge the sediment.

[0063] 3) In the technical solutions according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the flue cleaning robot crushes the sediment and grinds and cuts it into tiny particles, which are then transported to a designated location outside the flue 700 through negative pressure or other means, thereby solving the problem that the sediment residues to be cleaned are large and difficult to transport.

[0064] 4) In the technical solutions according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the curvature of the outer contour of the walking wheel 120 of the flue cleaning robot matches the curvature of the inner wall of the flue 700 , so that the walking vehicle 100 can move stably in the tubular flue 700 .

[0065] 5) In the technical solutions according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the height of the walking wheels 120 of the flue cleaning robot is higher than the bottom wall of the flue 700, so that a certain space is maintained between the vehicle body 110 and the bottom wall of the flue 700, thereby preventing the broken sediments after cleaning from hindering the movement of the walking vehicle 100.

[0066] 6) In the technical solutions according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the image acquisition component 600 is blown off at regular intervals by the first controller to ensure real-time and clear monitoring of the cleaning status in the flue 700, and timely adjustment of the execution of the actions of each mechanism to achieve effective cleaning of the bottom sediments in the flue 700.

[0067] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a flue cleaning robot includes a traveling vehicle, a crushing assembly, a first drive unit, a second drive unit and a cleaning assembly, wherein the traveling vehicle can travel along the axial direction of the flue; the crushing assembly includes a bracket and a crushing knife for crushing the sediment on the bottom wall of the flue, the bracket is hinged to the traveling vehicle, the crushing knife is rotatably connected to the bracket, and extends to the outside of the bracket along the traveling direction; the first drive unit is used to drive the bracket to swing relative to the traveling vehicle in a plane perpendicular to the traveling direction; the second drive unit is used to drive the crushing knife to rotate relative to the bracket to crush the sediment on the bottom wall of the flue; the cleaning assembly is used to discharge the crushed sediment out of the flue.

[0068] In the technical solution according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the traveling vehicle serves as the walking body of the cleaning robot, and can drive the crushing assembly, the first drive unit, and the second drive unit to move with the traveling vehicle in the flue, so that the crushing knife extends into the sediment along the circumference of the flue. The crushing assembly is used to crush the sediment on the bottom wall of the flue. Specifically, the asphalt and coal tar vaporized during roasting will be deposited on the bottom wall of the flue as the temperature decreases during the movement in the flue, forming a thick layer of sediment. When the crushing assembly crushes the sediment, the hinge between the bracket and the traveling vehicle is located above the sediment, and the crushing knife is inserted into the sediment axially along the flue under the action of the traveling vehicle. Since the first driving unit drives the bracket to swing relative to the traveling vehicle in a plane perpendicular to the walking direction, the crushing knife swinging with the bracket swings in the sediment distributed along the circumference of the flue, thereby scraping and crushing all the sediment located on the circumference of the flue, and then the cleaning assembly discharges the crushed sediment out of the flue.

[0069] Compared with related technical solutions, the present invention uses a robot to clean sediment in the flue, eliminating the need for manual work in the confined, enclosed flue, saving manpower. The crushing blades rotating around the axis break up the sediment, resulting in small sediment particles and high sediment crushing and cleaning efficiency.

[0070] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features being in contact not directly but through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above," "above," and "above" a second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below," "below," and "below" a second feature includes the first feature being directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0071] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise" and "counterclockwise" indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present disclosure and simplifying the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present disclosure.

[0072] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "connect," "fix," etc. should be understood broadly. For example, "fix" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean internal communication between two elements or an interaction between two elements. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this disclosure based on specific circumstances.

[0073] In addition, the terms "first," "second," and so on, used in this disclosure are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this disclosure, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0074] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present disclosure, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A flue cleaning robot, comprising: The traveling vehicle can travel along the axis of the flue; A crushing assembly, comprising a bracket and a crushing knife for crushing the sediment on the bottom wall of the flue, wherein the bracket is hinged to the traveling vehicle, and the crushing knife is rotatably connected to the bracket and extends outside the bracket along the traveling direction; A first driving unit, used for driving the support to swing relative to the traveling vehicle in a plane perpendicular to the traveling direction; A second driving unit is used to drive the crushing knife to rotate relative to the bracket to crush the sediment on the bottom wall of the flue; as well as A cleaning component is used to discharge the crushed sediment out of the flue.

2. The flue cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein: The crushing assembly includes a cutter disc rotatably connected to the bracket, and a plurality of crushing knives are provided. The plurality of crushing knives are arranged at intervals along the radial direction of the cutter disc and extend to the outside of the cutter disc along the traveling direction.

3. The flue cleaning robot according to claim 2, wherein: The crushing knife is a rod knife, one end of which is connected to the knife disc, and the other end of which extends toward the traveling direction.

4. The flue cleaning robot according to claim 2, wherein: The crushing knives are provided in a plurality of groups, each group of the crushing knives includes the plurality of crushing knives, and the plurality of groups of crushing knives are arranged at intervals around the circumference of the knife disc.

5. The flue cleaning robot according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein: The knife discs are provided in plurality, and the plurality of knife discs are rotatably connected to the bracket in sequence and at intervals.

6. The flue cleaning robot according to claim 5, wherein: The support comprises a mounting plate, the mounting plate is provided with an escape structure for discharging the crushed sediment, the escape structure is located between two adjacent cutter discs; and / or, The knife disc extends out of the bracket in the radial direction of the flue, wherein the interval between two adjacent knife discs forms a channel for discharging the crushed sediment.

7. The flue cleaning robot according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The first driving unit includes a driving wheel and a first driving element connected to the traveling vehicle, the first driving element is connected to the driving wheel in a transmission manner, the driving wheel is provided with a first matching portion spaced apart from the wheel center of the driving wheel, the bracket is provided with a second matching portion, the first matching portion is slidably matched with the second matching portion, so that when the driving wheel rotates, the bracket swings relative to the traveling vehicle in a plane perpendicular to the walking direction.

8. The flue cleaning robot according to claim 7, wherein: The first matching portion is a sliding protrusion, and the second matching portion is a sliding groove extending along the radial direction of the flue, and the sliding protrusion is slidingly matched with the sliding groove.

9. The flue cleaning robot according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The traveling vehicle includes a vehicle body, a second driving element and multiple groups of traveling wheels connected to the second driving element. The multiple groups of traveling wheels are distributed at intervals along the traveling direction and are rotatably connected to the vehicle body. Each group of traveling wheels includes two traveling wheels, and the radial dimensions of the two traveling wheels decrease successively along opposite directions.

10. The flue cleaning robot according to any one of claims 1-4, further comprising a first controller, a second controller, and a lighting component and an image acquisition component connected to the traveling vehicle, the first controller and the second controller are both provided with a communication module, the first controller and the second controller communicate data via the two communication modules, the second controller, the lighting component and the image acquisition component are all connected to the traveling vehicle, the lighting component, the image acquisition component, the first drive unit and the second drive unit are all electrically connected to the second controller.

Images